STEAM International Edutainment Platform

1. Minority and underserved communities lack access to STEAM education, including access to the people, critical tools, and community, which reduces entry of minority students into critical STEAM-related fields. This underrepresentation has led to a systemic lack of capacity and diversity within the scientific community and perpetuated inequalities necessarily limit our capacity to solve problems. 
   

   AAM creates edutainment that bridges the divide for the viewers between a problem and the process for arriving at a solution. We show kids the value of diversity in Edutainment inclusive content that engages through curiosity and subtext. Inclusiveness on-screen recruits the interests and empowers learners. 

   The Project aims to engage with and carefully develop interactive content that immerses students into a problem-solving journey where they learn to navigate the set of digital tools and scientific paradigms that will channel their curiosity into the depths of outer space.

BIPOC students are underrepresented in STEAM and in depictions of STEAM-related fields. Lack of representation the connection with the scientific community and dissemination of knowledge decreasing the entry of these individuals within STEAM-related fields.

Over the last decade, advances in internet connectivity drove adoption of information and knowledge dissemination, within the realm of entertainment content. Younger generations have disproportionately adopted streaming and social media services for  daily entertainment. Users of streaming and social media content tend to have longer engagement periods with content.

New media technologies break down the traditional barriers to connect online. While children in this media environment respond less to marketers directly communicating with them, we see trendsetting individuals disseminate knowledge and content throughout digital communities in ways that influence viewers positively or negatively.

This lack of access could turn into a lack of capacity throughout minority and underserved communities, further reducing entry of minority students into critical STEAM-related fields. The objective is to form a relationship between pupils and the scientific community providing individual inquiry. Using artistic expression while providing critical skills in emotional reasoning and stress management to improve the foundation for entry into STEAM fields.

1. What is it?

We are creating multilingual edutainment programming tailored to showing minorities participating in or using STEAM skills. Programming paired with personal applications of the concepts by the viewer to view and participate in the that are used for media consumption including mobile, traditional networks and streaming services. We are also targeting advanced content consumption platforms that will utilize virtual reality and augmented reality. 

1. What does it do?

Ad Astra Media leverages the willingness of younger communities to engage on emerging platforms. As scientists and educators adopt emerging digital engagement tools to disseminate knowledge and stimulate curiosity, streaming services and social media allow the content creator to tailor the on-screen interaction and content to pursue educational objectives like reaching at-risk communities, underserved areas, and minority student populations.

1. What Processes and Technology Does it Use?

The Ad Astra digital engagement platform connects students with tools for individual and artistic creative expression, using character and narrative-driven content to reaffirm underlying scientific principles. Rather than viewing students as a knowledge repository, the Ad Astra platform forms its pedagogical approach around active engagement with viewers of traditional and livestream programming and interactive content. 

The intended audience is for students of all ages from underrepresented communities and minority groups. 

Relationships and role-models are critical for learning, exchanging knowledge and learning while establishing foundational values and ethics. Digital media platforms alter the engagement dynamic between the viewer and creator, facilitating an active conversational exchange between performer and viewer. 

Entertainers of all ages are vying for the attention of younger viewers. Teens spend nearly three quarters (71%) of their video consumption time with new media platforms Netflix and YouTube, according to the 36th semi-annual Taking Stock With Teens survey from Piper Jaffray.  

Our innovation will be tailored to engage those communities with content that crosses the digital divide and educate through smart devices. Underrepresented communities in the US tend to access the internet through smart devices at equal numbers to majority communities. 

• A national parent survey found that 98 percent of homes with children have a mobile device such as a tablet or smartphone.  

• 42 percent of young children have their own tablet device.

Edutainment platforms including mobile platforms and web-based content reach members of underrepresented communities and inspire them to think critically if these platforms are created properly. By developing the interests and proficiencies of underrepresented communities between STEAM disciplines can generate a more diverse and resilient STEAM workforce by providing critical tools and skills for twenty first century challenges. Pedagogical and logistic challenges exist reaching underserved or underrepresented communities personally and informationally. Understanding how to create non-traditional education curriculum/programs to become viral and and hold the attention of young people is a challenge, Ad Astra Media has created a unique concept.

Yes

Full-time staff: 1

Part-time staff: 4

Contractors: 4

We focus on the UN sustainability goals of creating a diverse work place. We seek out multicultural and diverse experts and workforce that are representative of the community that we seek to engage both in gender, gender identity, race and age.

Combining the fields of Science and Technology with entertainment to create novel content to inspire existing and future generations of underrepresented communities to go into fields of STEAM with a Transmedia approach (Film, Broadcast, Print, Games, Digital, Augmented Reality and Experiential Media).

Write components of utilizing existing streaming services as well as low tech and high tech solutions including SMS messaging platforms and augments reality platforms to transmit content to diverse age groups and ethnicities of underserved and marginalized communities. 

The technology of Behavioral Science of combining Education with Entertainment (or Edutainment) has been established widely through previous programing for Children’s Education, such as Mr. Rogers Neighborhood which was able to teach both development and ethics regarding various subject matters such as suicide prevention, depression, divorce in adult educational components, has been also efficacious regarding safe sex programs with a combination info educational media into pornographic videos as well as in evidence by success of designated driving campaigns with instituting educational content into popular media in the late 80’s/ early 90’s such as Cheers, Law in Order and the Cosby Show.

At Ad Astra Media, we believe that to implement true change, we must begin with the youngest generations, provide them with role models, coaches, teachers, and mentors. We think that the foundational provision of role models is access through new forms of online media such as streaming content, or YouTube videos using short format curriculum that allows users to binge on the content that interests them. Exposing young children to STEAM based content early on can provide true change. Stimulating interest and exposure to role models for women, minorities, and underserved populations to connect with STEAM early on and build their foundations to eventually enter and play a role in a more diversified STEAM workforce.

Currently we are developing a STEAM based transmedia project which will have an episodic feature of 20-30 minute of part live animation and part 3D animation. The feature will be multilingual and could be described as a STEAM based Mr. Rogers. Each episode will cover a different topic of STEAM and will target children from minority and underserved communities from ages 5-12 to educate and inspire them to go into the fields of STEAM.

Market barriers include an underrepresentation of minority leaders within the fields of media production. As well as funding opportunities for underrepresented communities or writers and content creators of media projects. Technical barriers have already been overcome as content creation has already started.

All barriers will be overcome by creating communities that will help augment each other's capabilities. Partnerships that have already been developed that are helping to overcome obstacles. This includes sponsorship from Eisenhower Fellowship and letters of intent from animation studios. We have also received support from a nonprofit education group called MaaPaa, which is focused on serving single hispanic mothers in Texas, the Space Foundation which is developing STEAM Aerospace content for k-12, and Deeplearning.ai which is supporting education of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence for all ages and communities.

Short term data outcomes that we will be evaluating it interaction with social media platforms as well as traditional website platforms, enrollment into SMS platform applications for additional content engagement and long term data outcomes of increasing diversity in the STEM fields.

N/A

I have deep industry experience both in entrepreneurship and emerging technology development, writing and public speaking. I have worked as an Eisenhower Fellow, Associate Chief Health Officer for IBM Watson, Director of Innovation and Chief Engineering Council for Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, as an advisor for MIT, NASA, and the White House Office of Science and Technology. I have worked in various leadership capacities for many small and large private technology corporations. I am also active in the media through Forbes, Univision, NASA 360, CNBC, and NHK News. My focus is to host media content on online platforms to inspire future minority leaders in the fields of STEAM. I have been busy building partnerships and have received support from the Space Foundation, Worker Studio Animation, and the Eisenhower Fellowship to promote this content creation.

Tipping Point Media & Entertainment, 3D animation - hybrid live action/ animation show

MaaPaa, STEM Education Curriculum and NSF Grants

Deeplearning.ai, Educational AI Webinars

Eisenhower Fellowship, publishing a book for highlighting STEM Workforce Role Models 

Clinton Foundation, STEM text campaign for Too Small To Fail reaching 52,000 subscribers with early educational content for parents

Ad Astra seeks to renew a faith in facts and reason and uplift underserved and minority communities by providing them with scientific role models in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) to which they can aspire. Ad Astra is composed of individuals with experience at all levels of media (T.V. and commercial) production and extends into both traditional television (Spanish and English networks) and into leading streaming services and film studios.  We have memorandums of understanding with digital animation studios supported by the Space Foundation and who have worked with Disney and Pixar. Revenue generation will come from selling content to traditional and streaming services, providing adjunct educational content, advertising and sponsorships with technology companies.

Financial sustainability will come from selling content to traditional and streaming services, providing adjunct educational content, advertising and sponsorships with technology companies.  The lead revenue generation we envision from sponsorships and content licensing.  Ancillary product creation from our leading programming will help supplement.  We do envision early support from grants supporting minority education initiatives as well.

N/A

We are seeking to raise 1.75M USD for the year 2021 to fund completion of our first animated full length edutainment series (1.2M), scale our digital comic (25k), complete our 2 childrens books (25k) and our first adult book (150k) Remaining funds used for marketing, outreach and operations (350k). The full length series would be completed in 10 months. The digital comic is already in circulation and will expand from one monthly page in english/spanish to one weekly release.  The childrens books would be completed within 3 months of fund acquisition and the adult book completed within 12 months.  Outreach and marketing would continue to expand over the course of the first year of operations.

Content: $1.4M USD

Branding/Marketing: $250k

Legal: $150k

Operations: $400k

2021

January:

Content

$116,666.66

Branding/Marketing

$20,833.33

Legal

$12,500.00

Operations

$33,333.33

Monthly Total

$78,333.32

February 

Content

$116,666.66

Branding/Marketing

$20,833.33

Legal

$12,500.00

Operations

$33,333.33

Monthly Total

$78,333.32

March

Content

$116,666.66

Branding/Marketing

$20,833.33

Legal

$12,500.00

Operations

$33,333.33

Monthly Total

$78,333.32

April

Content

$116,666.66

Branding/Marketing

$20,833.33

Legal

$12,500.00

Operations

$33,333.33

Monthly Total

$78,333.32

May

Content

$116,666.66

Branding/Marketing

$20,833.33

Legal

$12,500.00

Operations

$33,333.33

Monthly Total

$78,333.32

June

Content

$116,666.66

Branding/Marketing

$20,833.33

Legal

$12,500.00

Operations

$33,333.33

Monthly Total

$78,333.32

July

Content

$116,666.66

Branding/Marketing

$20,833.33

Legal

$12,500.00

Operations

$33,333.33

Monthly Total

$78,333.32

August

Content

$116,666.66

Branding/Marketing

$20,833.33

Legal

$12,500.00

Operations

$33,333.33

Monthly Total

$78,333.32

September

Content

$116,666.66

Branding/Marketing

$20,833.33

Legal

$12,500.00

Operations

$33,333.33

Monthly Total

$78,333.32

October

Content

$116,666.66

Branding/Marketing

$20,833.33

Legal

$12,500.00

Operations

$33,333.33

Monthly Total

$78,333.32

November

Content

$116,666.66

Branding/Marketing

$20,833.33

Legal

$12,500.00

Operations

$33,333.33

Monthly Total

$78,333.32

December

Content

$116,666.66

Branding/Marketing

$20,833.33

Legal

$12,500.00

Operations

$33,333.33

Monthly Total

$78,333.32

Humanity needs a profound cognitive shift in our awareness and worldview. In our ascension to the cosmos, our astronauts have undergone “truly transformative experiences involving wonder and awe, unity with nature, transcendence and universal brotherhood.” The Overview Effect is a psychological response to witnessing the sight of the earth from space. 

Now more than ever, we need to elevate voices from excluded or underrepresented communities. We need to reaffirm our commitment to transforming our collective experience together on this planet. 

Ad Astra Media is applying for Reimagining Pathways to Employment because we want to bring self-transcendent experiences to underrepresented communities. More than a vantage that inspires awe and wonder, we need a mission to bring humanity together and figures who represent the mission of uniformly improving human existence for everyone. 

Arbitrary prejudice and exclusion prevents the wide-scale collaboration that humanity needs to address the existential problems that we face. Ad Astra Media wants to create visual experiences that challenge and alter toxic deep-seated beliefs created through exclusion. 

The next generation of human collaboration first needs STEAM thinkers who understand bias and where it comes from, who include and value the potential of all people. Ad Astra Media seeks to move us from a place of exclusion to a place where we strive together, ascending beyond the bias and hate to a place where communities are empowered to join the global network of problem solvers.

We are seeking mentorship and advice on media and content creation strategies as well as talent recruitment.  Legal and regulatory advice is also always welcomed particularly around media contract negotiations.  Funding and revenue modeling also of primary importance.

We aspire to partner with some additional foundations focusing on education for marginalized communities such as Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Clinton Foundation. We are also looking for the proper avenues to approach the: Bezos Family Foundation, Raytheon Technologies, Bain Capital, Boeing, J.P. Morgan, KPMG, Northern Trust, Signa, Lutron, Prudential, and the University of Pennsylvania.